


Aetherial Forest: Part 1

by Silver_Siren



Series: Aetherial Forest [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games), Final Fantasy XIV, Phantasy Star Online 2
Genre: M/M, Please just run with it, Protective Rasputin, Protective Saint, Screenplay/Script Format, The Vex Are Assholes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:13:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Siren/pseuds/Silver_Siren
Summary: Osiris has contacted Ikora about something unsettling in the Infinite Forest. What ensues next...(Written as if this could possibly be a questline in-game. Player Guardian is left very ambiguous for that reason.)
Relationships: Osiris/Saint-14 (Destiny)
Series: Aetherial Forest [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982377
Kudos: 4





	1. First Step: Upon The Ruins Of The Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! This fic is actually a collab effort between me and a friend who doesn't have an Ao3 account. We'd both love some feedback! Please and thank you!

**_Speak to Ikora Rey in the Tower about what has so many of your fellow Guardians on edge._ **

**Ikora:** I’m glad you’re here, Guardian. I wish it was simply to chat, but as you can imagine, it isn’t. 

**Ghost:** Yeah, we kinda guessed. What’s going on?

**Ikora:** As the rumor mill has no doubt told you, Guardians have been vanishing into thin air on Nessus, Mercury, and Venus-all Vex-dominated planets. We had no leads, until Osiris managed to get in touch with me after evidently struggling to do so for a short while.

**Ghost:** Osiris? So it’s got to do with the Infinite Forest?

**_Ikora nods._ **

**Ikora:** It does, though, in all honesty, he couldn’t provide a lot of detail. What he  _ could  _ provide was curious enough on its own.

**Ghost:** _ Curious?  _ What do you mean by  _ ‘curious?’ _

**???:** She means she’s not sure whether it’s good or bad yet. 

**_Guardian and Ghost turn around to see a battered-looking Osiris and Sagira have arrived. The two collectively stare._ **

**Ghost:** What  _ happened  _ to you two?! 

**Sagira:** The same thing that happened to the missing Guardians. Well,  _ almost  _ to us, but the point remains. The weirdest-looking creatures we’ve ever  _ seen,  _ alongside a new Vex division and some simulated creepy kid thing, blitz-attacked us out of nowhere! We only got out because of Osiris’ familiarity with the Forest!

**Ghost:** Weird-looking creatures? A new Vex division? Some… ‘creepy kid thing’? Why would the Vex want to simulate mystery creatures and a creepy kid? 

**Osiris:** ...While I have very little proof, I do not believe the creatures and child are the machinations of the Vex alone. I believe that someone else has managed to hijack the Forest, or at least some portion of it, and manipulate it to their own ends, just as I have.

**Ikora:** If you’re right, then we’re dealing with a potentially very dangerous enemy. Do you have any idea who is responsible? 

**Osiris:** ...Well, I can assure you that it  _ isn’t  _ the work of our traditional enemies. Not a single banner of any kind, nor a trace of anything like a Hive ritual. 

**_Ikora stares in horror at Osiris._ **

**Ikora:** You’re not seriously implying-!

**Osiris:** What other conclusion is there? It has to be something with enough willpower and creativity to manipulate the Forest to its own ends, and if not our traditional enemies, what else remains that has such capabilities?! 

**Sagira:** And, what Osiris  _ won’t  _ tell you because he doesn’t like the idea any more than you do is that some of the creations-namely, that creepy kid-bleed proper  _ Light!  _

**_There is a tangible, awkward, painful moment of silence as Ikora turns around and braces herself against her desk. She closes her eyes, and brings her hand to her face for a moment._ **

**Ikora:** The only reason  _ you  _ ended up in the Infinite Forest was because we  _ exiled  _ you. The only reason the  _ Guardian  _ ended up in the Infinite Forest was because I forced open the gate to  _ allow  _ him/her in. If the perpetrator is indeed another Guardian, how did they get  _ in  _ at all?

**Ghost:** It’s the Vex’s domain… the Vex could have dragged that Guardian in for one reason or another. We know they’ve kidnapped Guardians before.

**_Ikora lets out an exasperated sigh._ **

**Ikora:** Things can never be simple, can they? A Guardian being responsible for holding the others hostage would certainly help to explain why Osiris is the only one who’s managed to escape the situation so far… and it’s all the more reason we have to break in there and put a stop to it.

**Sagira:** Oh, and let’s not forget that the Vex are uh… not too happy about the mystery intruder. They’ve been trying with everything they got to take it back. Thankfully, they haven’t exactly  _ gotten  _ anywhere, buuuuuut…

**Ghost:** The environment’s going to be even more hostile than we thought.  _ Lovely.  _

**Ikora:** Still, it doesn’t change the fact we have to get in there and put an end to it. The question then becomes…  _ how? _

**Osiris:** A direct frontal assault will not succeed. The creations  _ alone  _ are… exceedingly difficult to overcome, and for each one you kill, three more take its place! 

**Ikora:** These… creations, just what exactly  _ are  _ they? What makes them so difficult to fight?

**Osiris:** They’re  _ creations of the Forest.  _ **_Anything_ ** is possible in there!

**_Sagira bops Osiris on the head with her shell. He swats at her with an annoyed growl, and Ikora can’t help a small smile and chuckle._ **

**Sagira:** Ugh, why do you  _ always  _ have to be so  _ vague?!  _ I mean, there are multiple reasons, one of them being if you hit them with the wrong type of attack, not only will they  _ not  _ take any damage, but it’ll  _ heal  _ them-

**Osiris:** And not to mention that they vary  _ wildly  _ in form and capabilities. You’d swear the Vex got their hands on a collection of fairytales and decided to bring them into reality!

**Ghost:** I wouldn't put it past them to do something like that. They're weird.

**Ikora:** We need to infiltrate the Forest. Get to the heart of this mess, and rip out the weed by the roots. 

**Osiris:** The counteroffensive the Vex have launched has barely been a distraction to the creations. Even the finest of Nightstalkers would be detected.

**Ikora:** Then we make our own distraction. Send in a swarm to engage the main horde. Then, while it's distracted-

**_She turns to the player character._ **

**Ikora:** You go in, find the source of the problem, and take it out. You've killed Hive gods. This should be no problem for you.

**Ghost:** Leave it to us! 

**_Head to Venus to find a backdoor into the Infinite Forest._ **


	2. Strike: The Vault Of Urth

**_Head to the Ishtar Sink to enter the Vault of Glass._ **

**Ghost:** Venus… we haven't been here in a while. And it looks like not a lot has changed since we've last been here.

**Ikora:** _ Indeed. We haven't detected a lot of activity from either the Vex or the Fallen here. The Vault is abandoned, but it could still be used as a backdoor into the Infinite Forest. Head in there, and re-establish a network gate link to the Forest. Once you've done that, I'll give the diversion order, and we'll buy you as much time as we can! _

**Ghost:** We'll be as quick as we can!

**Ikora:** _ Good, because some of the fire teams are getting twitchy- _

**_Static quickly overtakes the line as the player continues to navigate the Vault of Glass._ **

**Ghost:** Ikora? Ikora? Great, the line's jammed,  _ and  _ we're in the heart of enemy territory!  _ This  _ will end well!

**_As if Ghost jinxed it, Vex start to attack the player, though they have a crimson red, black, and dark bronze color palette, and tend to overall look more like spears of varying sizes than the standard-issue Vex. Their attack colors also have this bizarre color scheme, and vary between Arc and Void damage types. As the player descends further into the Vault, they notice it starts to transition from the previous appearance to a dark, ghastly-looking, haunted forest ruin, eventually ending in a strange, puddle-ridden semblance of a clearing that retains the new aesthetic. Also, interestingly, jagged, ghastly-looking, faintly-glowing white crystals jut out of the ground and walls in various places. The space is called “Urth’s Fount”._ **

**Ghost:** This is new… I mean, the Vex do seem to have a weird fascination with plants, but not crystals… and what’s with this random clearing-

**_The sound of approaching, armored footsteps gets louder and louder… and closer and closer…_ **

**Ghost:** Did you hear that?

**_Soon enough, a massive, armored figure, mounted on what could best be described as a Vex approximation of an Earth horse, equally armored, and with the color scheme of the previous Vex the player has faced, wielding a massive, elaborate sword, leaps from a higher platform to the player’s level._ **

**Ghost:** W-What the hell is  _ that?!  _

https://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/final-fantasy-xiv/8/85/Odin.jpg

**_The player is forced to fight the mysterious rider, named Odin, the Dark Divinity. He regularly attacks with traditional sword attacks, and if the player steps behind him, Slepinir will rear-kick, one-shotting anyone behind him. He every so often will do one of the following maneuvers:_ ** **_  
  
_ **

**_Hall of Sorrow: Opening move. Large pulse of Void-elemental damage. Can be avoided by hiding behind either a crystal or a tree, which will then turn purple. After thirty seconds, the trees and crystals will reset to neutral._ **

**_Hall of Lead: Randomly drops three medium-sized black Void “puddles” which will inflict “Leaden” on anyone who steps inside it, in addition to minor damage. “Leaden” serves to severely slow the victim’s movement, and will last ten seconds after leaving the puddle._ **

**_Hall of Stone: A bolt of Arc that will render anyone hit by it immobile. Can be avoided by passing the “tether” marker to either a Void tree/crystal or an unused tree/crystal by hiding behind it. If passed to a Void tree/crystal, the tree/crystal will become “overcharged with Aether” and explode after thirty seconds, dealing Arc damage within a medium radius of the tree/crystal._ **

**_Valknut: Odin targets the farthest Guardian from his blade, and throws it at them. The targeted player must run away upon his throw to avoid being one-shot, and then, the area must be avoided, as anyone within medium radius of the now-spinning blade will be sucked in and will suffer repeated Arc melee damage. This lasts for a good few minutes, before Odin recalls his blade to him._ **

**_Sanngetall: Odin targets the closest Guardian to his blade, and raises his blade, charging Void Light across it. The targeted player must hide behind either an Arc tree/crystal or an unused tree/crystal. If an Arc tree/crystal is used, the tree/crystal will become “overcharged with Aether” and explode after thirty seconds, dealing Void damage within a medium radius of the tree/crystal._ **

**_Einherjar: A rapid succession of Arc bolts fall from the sky, which the players must avoid like a bullet hell segment. This move will precede the Gungnir phase._ **

**_Gungnir: The spear-like Vex from earlier in the strike start falling from the sky and attacking the player. They must be killed as quickly as possible, as they constantly place an “Aetherial Bleed” debuff on the player, which slowly drains health over time. Once all adds are killed, the player then must pick up the broken Vex and throw them at Odin, pinning him to the ground. This will then allow for DPS._ **

**_If the player fails to kill Odin in one DPS phase, he will shake off the Gungnir Vex, obliterate them with Hall of Sorrow, and start his cycle over. The player has three total phases to kill him. If the player fails to kill him, he will enrage with Shin-Zantetsuken, which takes thirty seconds to charge. Upon casting, he will swing his blade around him in a 360 shape, killing the player instantly._ **

**_The following dialogue ensues upon successful defeat of Odin. Upon his defeat, Slepinir will rear up, and Odin will begin to shine with blinding iridescent light. The light will grow to blinding, and fill the arena. After it fades, Odin is nowhere to be seen._ **

**STRIKE END. FOLLOWING IS A CUTSCENE.**

**Ghost:** By the Light… What  _ was  _ that thing? 

**Ikora:** _ Guardian! Can you hear me?! _

**Ghost:** Loud and clear! We don’t know what made us lose communication, but we  _ did  _ just face off against a giant black armored Vex knight on the back of an equally-weird Vex horse! 

**Ikora:** _ A… Vex knight in black armor on the back of a Vex horse? That’s… different- _

**_A pained groan nearby interrupts the conversation. Curious, the player character goes over to investigate, only to see what appears to be an unconscious Titan on the ground, Odin’s sword beside him on the ground._ **

**Ghost:** Traveler preserve, it’s a  _ Guardian!  _ That giant Vex knight was a  _ Guardian!  _

**Ikora:** _ What?! How?! Bring that Guardian back-they might be the key to finally putting an end to this!  _

**Ghost:** We were gonna bring him back anyways!

**_Ghost scans the blade._ **

**Ghost:** His blood is on the blade! What  _ happened- _

**_Ghost turns as a strange figure’s reflection can be seen on the edge of the blade, mere seconds before it vanishes into seemingly nothing. The Guardian follows Ghost’s gaze, only catching a glimpse of the figure before it vanishes. Just as it leaves, the Titan stirs, and pushes himself up. The player turns back, and darts to the mystery Titan’s side. The mystery Titan turns to look up at the player._ **

**Titan:** Ugh… who… what?

**Ghost:** It’s alright. There’s no immediate threat. We’ve cleared the area. Do you know where you are?

**_The Titan looks around and then looks back at Ghost. He shakes his head._ **

**Titan:** No… last thing I remember was my friends and I were getting royally fucked by Vex and these…  _ things…  _ and we were getting desperate. Then, outta nowhere, I heard this very quiet voice tell me that it could give me the power to win… what the hell was I gonna do? We were all exhausted and out of ammo…

**Ghost:** So, you said yes, and someone appeared and gave you that sword? 

**Titan:** Not just anyone… some creepy kid thing with blue hair… and she didn’t  _ hand  _ it to me-she  _ stabbed  _ me with it, and then I blacked out...

**_Ghost and Guardian look at each other briefly._ **

**Ghost:** Creepy kid?

**Ikora:** _ Taken and Vex readings are converging on your position! You need to move, NOW!  _

**Titan:** Don’t have to ask me twice! 

**_The Ghost, Guardian, and nameless Titan all run for the exit, and transmat as soon as possible to orbit._ **


	3. Second Step: Primal Wrath

**_Speak to Zavala about the starting revelation of the mystery creatures in the Forest._ **

**Ghost:** Commander? Are you okay?

**_Zavala grips the rail beneath him tighter, bending it slightly and sending Arc along it._ **

**Zavala:** I find myself… conflicted. On one hand, I am… reassured that the missing Guardians are, more than likely,  _ alive.  _ However, I am… disturbed by the prospect of them being transformed into these  _ monsters  _ by some mysterious  _ child  _ that we know almost  _ nothing  _ about! 

**Ghost:** We were able to turn that Titan back to normal by defeating him-

**_Suddenly, the Guardian’s head swims, and they collapse to the ground as their vision is overwhelmed by a strange, purplish mist…_ **

**Guardian:** What the-

**_A strange, feminine, static-laden voice attempts to call out to the Guardian, but the Guardian struggles to attempt to understand what the voice is saying. The Guardian desperately calls out back, but to no avail. All they manage to see is a figure similar to the one they saw leaving the Vault of Glass, reaching out to them. It manages to grab a hold of their arm, before another hand reaches out and yanks the first figure back._ **

**???:** Please, Guardian, you have- you have to find me!

**Guardian:** Where are you?! Who are you?! What do you want?!

**???:** There’s no time-hurry-

**????:** **_SILENCE, YOU!_ **

**_The first figure lets out a staticky scream as the second figure forcibly pulls her back into the mist, forcing her to let go of the Guardian’s arm. The Guardian jerks awake violently, finding themselves in an average-looking hospital bed. They look around._ **

**Ghost:** Thank the Light! You passed out in the Tower Courtyard-Zavala caught you before you could hit your head, but you were  _ gone!  _

**Osiris:** The Guardian did not simply…  _ pass out,  _ Little Light, if my suspicions are correct.

**_Ghost and Guardian turn and look at Osiris, who has just entered the room._ **

**Ghost:** What do you mean?

**Osiris:** Tell me, Guardian, when you lost consciousness, were you pulled into a realm of purple mist? 

**_The Guardian nods in agreement._ **

**Osiris:** Then, did a rather… glitched-sounding voice call out to you, pleading for you to find it?

**_Another nod._ **

**Guardian:** Yeah… and then, I felt something grab my arm, but then… something or someone else butted in, and yanked that girl away before I could get anything else out of her.

**_Osiris sighs, and shakes his head._ **

**Osiris:** So, it wasn’t just my imagination, or some trick of the Vex… 

**Sagira:** Y’know, call me crazy, but I swear, this is starting to sound like some sort of weird “good twin, evil twin” setup. Good twin’s the one calling out for help, evil twin’s the one trying to shut good twin up. 

**Osiris:** ...The worst part of that is that you may not be wrong, Sagira. Still, I find it difficult to believe it is as simple as that.

**Sagira:** It  _ never  _ is,  _ especially  _ when the Vex are involved. Anyways, while you were out, we managed to finalize a plan to get you inside. C’mon, get up, the Vanguard’s waiting. 

**_The Guardian rolls out of bed, and follows Osiris and Sagira out of the room._ **

* * *

**_Speak to Zavala about the Vanguard’s plan to breach the Infinite Forest and recover the corrupted Guardians._ **

**Zavala:** Welcome back, Guardian. How are you feeling?

**Ghost:** He/She’s fine. 

**Osiris:** The Guardian received the same distress signal of a vision I received when he/she collapsed. 

**Ikora:** Which means it wasn’t just an Infinite Forest glitch. Still, it doesn't change our plan.

**Ghost:** You all are going to put on a show to keep the Vex and these… corrupted Guardians distracted, and we're going to sneak on in and take down whatever the source of this is. 

**Sagira:** That's the short version. Just make sure to keep an eye out for any of those creatures or the evil twin. 

**Ghost:** Yeah, got it. 

**Zavala:** Then we’ve waited long enough. I’m giving the order-

**_Saint comes barrelling into the meeting room (quite literally), startling everyone and drawing attention to him. He is panting, and looks a fair bit battered._ **

**Osiris:** Saint! What’s going on?!

**Saint: (between pants)** Three monsters… appeared from nowhere… and are attempting to assault the Tower directly!

**_Everyone stares at Saint in shock._ **

**Ikora:** The Tower?! What about the City?!

**Saint:** That is strange part! They ignore the City! They only seem to want to fight Guardians!

**_Osiris raises an eyebrow, and crosses his arms._ **

**Osiris:** Mystery creatures assaulting the Tower while completely ignoring civilians and the City? Mystery… creatures… machinations of the Forest hijacker! This is their own diversion! 

**Zavala:** Be that as it may, we cannot let them ravage the Tower and reduce it to ashes! We must deal with them, and deal with them  _ fast!  _ Saint, how many are there?

**Saint:** It looked like there were three leaders, with small Vex armies alongside them. One is four-armed purple-gray giant. Not Fallen, just… very large. Another is… admittedly, a very beautiful gold-wearing woman that floats, with a giant head beneath her feet! The last one is a red and black horse-man with a spear. 

**_Osiris gives Saint a deadpan look._ **

**Osiris:** Horse-man? You mean a  _ centaur? _

**Saint:** Whatever it is called, I do not care! What matters is that they are all dangerous! We must drive them back!

**_Before anyone else can say another word, Saint goes tearing back out of the room. With an annoyed huff from Osiris, the remaining Guardians sprint out behind him. They arrive in the Tower Courtyard, only to find the exact scene Saint described-a trio of creatures assaulting the Tower, one a four-armed purple-grey giant, another a beautiful gold-wearing woman that is floating, and the last one a red and black centaur with a spear._ **

**Sagira:** Wow… he wasn’t being dramatic… 

**_Shaxx comes running over upon seeing the player, Osiris, Zavala, and Ikora together._ **

**Shaxx:** Before you ask, the City is entirely evacuated. Aside from unintentional collateral damage, these three  _ monstrosities  _ haven’t touched the City. The problem now is that they’re so massive that we can only deal any serious damage to them when they come in close enough to attack, and the woman never comes close anyways, so hitting her properly has been a joke for even my  _ finest!  _

**_Zavala looks over, and grimaces._ **

**Zavala:** Problematic indeed-

**???:** I cannot do much, but I can at least do  _ this!  _

**_The purplish mist from Osiris and the player’s vision rolls in, enveloping the Tower entirely. Three platforms appear before the three creatures, with different themes, and accessible via matching staircases. The player now has three flags appear in front of the staircases, each mutually exclusive. The player can choose which of the three they wish to fight, with Ikora and Zavala taking on one of the remaining two, and Osiris and Saint taking on the remaining one. It is highly advised that Titans choose to take on Sephirot, the Fiend, Warlocks take on Sophia, the Goddess, and Hunters take on Zurvan, the Demon, but the player may choose any one of the three they wish. Once chosen, the player cannot fight either of the remaining two unless their respective story mission is available in that week’s Story Mission rotation, they play through this questline on a new character, or they have unlocked the Heavensward stage of the Aetherial Labyrinth game mode._ **


	4. Story Mission Option 1: The Fiend's Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, along with the next two, are mutually exclusive in terms of story and how they would be executed in game. Feel free to pick any of the three in your mind!

**_This fight is against the raging, four-armed, purplish-greyish giant, Sephirot, the Fiend of the Warring Triad. The platform the player confronts him on is an earthen-looking circular raised platform with a faint, purplish barrier around the edge. Sephirot is overall slower than the other two, but compensates with pure, raw strength and unique abilities involving plants and the earth. His normal attacks are with any of his four massive fists, but every so often, he will execute any of the following abilities:_ **

**_Fiendish Rage: Sephirot lets out a feral growl, and clenches all four of his fists together. He will then target the player closest to him, and attempt to slam them. If a player is hit, it will reduce a Titan to critical health, and likely one-shot a Warlock or a Hunter._ **

**_Ratzon: Six small areas will be targeted randomly, and roots will shoot up from the ground, dealing a small amount of damage to anyone inside of it, and causing a Guardian-sized tree to settle in place. These trees will be important later._ **

**_Ain: Sephirot will turn in a random direction, and essentially repeat his Fiendish Rage move, but this time, he will create a conal surge in front of him. This will cause Vex Goblins called Binah and Vex Minotaurs called Cochma to spawn. These must be killed, and their dropped “Earth Crystals” must be picked up and “fed” to the trees to encourage them to grow. The destroyed portion of the platform will regenerate after thirty seconds._ **

**_Pillar of Mercy: Sephirot clenches either his two right fists or his two left fists together, and strikes that side of the platform, spawning more Binah and Cochma Vex. Like before, these adds must be killed, and their “Earth Crystals” brought to the trees in order to “feed” them and make them grow larger._ **

**_Earthshaker: Sephirot targets two random directions, and slams his fist into the ground, in essence, this is a lesser version of his Ain move that spawns no adds and does not destroy the platform. It must be avoided, or the player caught in it will be briefly ensnared in the ground for fifteen seconds._ **

**_Malkuth: Sephirot inhales deeply, and unleashes a powerful gust of wind, which knocks the player back several feet. To avoid being slammed into the wall, the player should get close to him. This will also leave behind a Storm of Words Vex Cyclops that must be destroyed to generate a cyclone that will allow the players to deal with the next mechanic._ **

**_Yesad: Sephirot will target the player, and the ground will briefly shimmer underneath the player before a large, glowing greenish crystal will jettison from the ground. If this crystal hits a tree, it will encourage the tree to grow._ **

**_Pillar of Severity: Sephirot will bring his two left arms down besides the platform, and sweep them across. If the player stands in the cyclone left behind by the Storm of Words, it will activate just as this mechanic does, sending the player briefly skywards, but allowing them to avoid being knocked off the edge by this._ **

**_Da’at: Sephirot will target the player, and blast them with six total bursts of Arc Light in rapid succession. It “chases” the player, and will “splash damage” anyone within a small radius of the target, so the targeted player must run around briefly, avoiding allies._ **

**_Fiendish Wail: Sephirot brings his two upper fists up, and slams them into the ground, crushing anyone unfortunate enough to be caught underneath them. His fists will be briefly ensnared in the platform, and any trees sufficiently large enough will be “rattled” into vines by this attack. The vines will bind his arms, preventing him from moving and allowing for DPS. His precision weak point is the blue crystal in the center of his chest instead of his head. Should the player fail to one-phase him, he will surge with Light, and Arc-burn the vines off of him, allowing him to resume battle._ **

**_The player, much like with Odin, will have three “phases” to attempt to kill Sephirot. Should they fail, he will roar loudly, envelop himself in Arc Light, and slam the platform with all four fists at once, obliterating the platform and causing the player to fall to their death. When the player does succeed in defeating Sephirot, he staggers backwards, shimming with greenish light that grows to blinding, before suddenly fading away, revealing an unconscious Titan in full armor on the platform, with a strange blue fluid leaking from underneath his chest. By this time, Ikora and Zavala will have bested Sophia, and Saint and Osiris will have bested Zurvan._ **


	5. Story Mission Option 2: The Goddess' Wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Option #2 of 3!

**_This fight is against the alluring, beautiful, ever-floating Sophia, the Goddess of the Warring Triad. The platform the player confronts her on is an elaborate, rectangular gold thing with ruby red patterns, and golden railings around the edge. On either side of the platform are large, spherical counterweights. Sophia is neither the strongest nor the fastest of the Warring Triad, but she has devious tricks up her sleeve that involve the manipulation of gravity and weight. The Warlock’s ability to glide and control their fall, as well as self-buff, will make this fight much easier, and as such, it is recommended that Warlocks fight Sophia. She primarily attacks by shooting bolts of Arc Light from the silvery sphere she floats in her left hand much like Eris floats her “rock”, but she is clever and devious and has several tricks up her sleeve._ **

**_Aero II: Sophia’s sphere shimmers a brilliant green, and she spins around in a circle, unleashing a gust of wind as she goes. This will knock back anyone that is close to her, but will not affect anyone who is far enough away. To avoid this, the player is advised to get away from her while the sphere glows green._ **

**_Thunder III: Sophia’s sphere shimmers gold and starts crackling with Arc Light. She then raises the sphere skywards, and the Arc falls down around in a large donut shape with her at the center. The player should either get underneath her or as far away from her as possible._ **

**_Light Dew: Sophia “detaches” herself from the painted head beneath her, and the head warps to one side of the platform, before shooting a massive Solar laser across the platform. To avoid being hit by the laser, the player needs to watch behind Sophia when she floats upwards, as the head will “brace” against the platform before firing, allowing the player to dodge to the other side._ **

**_Sophia Rush: The head will “detach” from the platform, and teleport to the opposite side from which it executed Light Dew. After a brief delay, it will charge across the platform, dealing raw physical damage to anything in its path. The head will then return to being underneath Sophia, and she will “reattach” herself to it._ **

**_Thunder II: Sophia brings her sphere in front of her chest, and it crackles with Arc Light. She then pushes it outwards, unleashing a cone-shaped burst of Arc Light in front of her._ **

**_Cloudy Heavens: After executing all of the previous moves at least once, Sophia’s sphere will shimmer brilliantly, and she will envelop herself in a protective bubble of raw Light, and summon down the First Demiurge, a very large, golden Vex Minotaur, the Second Demiurge, a very large, golden Vex Hydra, and the Third Demiurge, a very large, golden Vex Hobgoblin. To remove the barrier and trigger the next phase, the adds must be killed, with the recommendation being Second, Third, and First as the kill order. The First Demiurge will every so often execute_ ** **_Directional Parry,_ ** **_which grants an impenetrable shield to two of its sides-either its left and right, or its front and behind. The Second Demiurge will every so often execute_ ** **_Divine Spark,_ ** **_which will unleash a brilliant white light from its “eye”, temporarily sending anyone that is looking at it into a “berserk mode” in which they will attack anything near them, friend or foe, unable to stop-however, if the player is looking away from the Second Demiurge before the light reaches maximum brilliance, the player will not be affected. The Second Demiurge can also restore small amounts of health to its allies. The Third Demiurge will occasionally execute_ ** **_Gnostic Rant,_ ** **_which involves it jumping up and shooting the ground underneath it, leaving behind a freezing puddle that will inflict “Frostbitten” on anyone who stands it in, dealing damage over time, before darting forward, and shooting in a 270-arc, leaving only the space behind it as a safe space._ **

**_The Scales of Wisdom: After her Demiurges are killed, Sophia will call forth a giant, glowing, golden balance scale, and absorb it into herself, causing the white shield to dissipate. She will then target the counterweights to her right, and unleash Quasar upon them, activating them and causing the platform to start shifting to the right. To avoid falling off, the player must shoot the counterweights to her left, rebalancing the platform._ **

**_Quasar: Sophia will either target the player with a slowly-falling small meteor, which the player must run away from the moment it starts falling, or target one side of counterweights, activating them and starting to tip the platform. If the platform starts to tip, the player will start to slide to the descending side, and the player must shoot the opposing counterweights to activate them and restore balance. If the player is airborne, they will be able to control their movement better, hence the favor towards Warlocks, as their glides will allow them to stay airborne for long enough to shoot the other counterweights and activate them, restoring balance._ **

**_Sin and Punishment: The player will be marked with a debuff called “Eternal Sin”, and black puddles will appear on the ground. The player must stand in a puddle by the time “Eternal Sin” expires, or else they will take serious damage. Used puddles will turn into something resembling healing rifts, and will be useful for the next mechanic._ **

**_Cintamani: Sophia starts charging golden Arc Light into her sphere very, very slowly. The player must enter the puddles, and absorb them, stacking “Absolution” on themselves and causing them to generate a sphere of white light in their hands. For the most damage possible, all puddles must be absorbed. The sphere then must be thrown at Sophia, which will stun her and allow for DPS. Her precision damage point is the sphere in her left hand, not her head or body._ **

**_The player will have three “phases” to attempt to kill Sophia. Should they fail to do so, she will enrage, and after the final phase ends, charge a Cintamani with no puddles to counter it, thus electrocuting the player to death and shattering the platform. When the player does succeed in defeating Sophia, the head below her will disintegrate in a burst of golden light, and Sophia herself will begin to shimmer with golden light. The light will grow to blinding, before fading. A Warlock will then be found unconscious on the platform, with a strange small bone fragment the same color as the sphere she wielded in battle attached to the inside of her left hand. By this point, Ikora and Zavala will have defeated Zurvan, and Osiris and Saint will have defeated Sephirot._ **


	6. Story Mission Option 3: The Demon's Wrath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last, but most certainly not least! #SkipSoar lol

**_This fight is against the red and black spear-wielding centaur, Zurvan, the Demon of the Warring Triad. The platform the player confronts him on is a large, scorched-looking circle with golden flames on the outer edge, outside of the space where the player can fight him. Zurvan is fast and furious, and out for blood. His swiftness is the best out of the Warring Triad, and his constant switching between fire and ice will keep a player on their feet. Due to his intense speed and movement, it is highly advised that Hunters choose to face Zurvan. His primary attacks are with his spear, but he has his own tricks just as well._ **

**_Flare Star: Zurvan will randomly target three areas in the arena, and cause the ground to burst into Solar Light flame for a few seconds. The ground will begin to glow with Solar fire before it actually takes effect, allowing a quick dodge or escape._ **

**_Metal Cutter: Zurvan raises his clawed hand, gathers Solar Light along it, and rakes the ground in front of him, unleashing a painful conal area of effect in front of him. If the player is in front of him, the glowing claw is the cue to dodge to one side or the other._ **

**_Soar: Zurvan conjures two copies of himself, and charges towards the outside of the arena in one of two patterns-either an evenly-split pattern that leaves the arena evenly divided into threes, or a very odd cluster pattern that has the two copies darting in one direction, slightly offset from one another, and the original Zurvan darting in the opposite direction of his clones. Once he finishes darting to the outer edges of the arena, he will target the player with his Flaming Halberd move, and simultaneously unleash that while the clones and the original Zurvan dart back into the center of the arena, the clones rejoining Zurvan as the move finishes._ **

**_Flaming Halberd: Executed halfway through Soar, Zurvan conjures large halberds made of Solar Light, and drops them on random areas in the arena, which leave behind large puddles that, if stood in, will leave the player more vulnerable to Solar damage. The only areas guaranteed to not be the center of a Flaming Halberd drop are areas he is currently charging through._ **

**_Demonic Dive: Zurvan will target a random Guardian in the arena, and rocket into the air. He will then attempt to dive down on them. The cue to dodge out of the way is when he is at maximum height._ **

**_Frozen Ground: Zurvan turns the area directly underneath him to ice. If stood in, this “puddle” will deal damage over time and render the player temporarily more vulnerable to his attacks. This, in essence, makes it very risky to attempt to walk under him to deal with his mechanics._ **

**_Biting Halberd: Zurvan will turn in a random direction, and gather raw Light around his claw. He will then rake it around his front and sides, making the only space safe for the player directly behind him. A Hunter’s mobility and dodge can be the saving grace of a player character here._ **

**_Southern Cross: Zurvan will target every possible Guardian he can, and conjure large pillars of ice in the air. He will then drop these pillars on the areas where the targets were when the pillars were starting to be conjured, allowing for the pillars to be “baited” in such a way that the areas of effect they leave behind (which act identical to the one under him) can be stacked and thus the danger minimized._ **

**_Ciclicle: One of three possible options after Southern Cross, the other two being either another cast of Biting Halberd or using Tail End. Zurvan will gather ice to his sides, and spin around swiftly, blasting in a very large donut around him, leaving melee-range around him as the “safe space” to avoid being hit by it._ **

**_Tail End: One of the three possibilities after Southern Cross, the other two having already been discussed. Zurvan gathers ice around his long tail, and spins around rapidly, dealing damage to anything in close-medium range of him. The player must run towards the outer edge of the arena to avoid being hit._ **

**_Demonic Will: Zurvan leaps off the arena, and summons his Vex, who are all centaur-like in general shape and red and black, with their torsos and heads indicating what they once were and what type the player is dealing with. First, he will summon four Execreated Thews-former Goblins-and one Execreated Will, a former Hobgoblin. The Thews are not too problematic, but the Will will occasionally boost its damage and use Hard Thrust on the player, stabbing them with its spear-gun. The second wave of adds is two new Wills, plus one Wile-a transformed Cyclops that uses a move called Meracydian Meteor to slowly call down a large meteor that, if it makes impact, will obliterate everything in the area, including the player. At the same time the two Wills and the Wit spawn, a Wile-a transformed Hydra-will spawn, and in essence behaves similarly to the Second Demiurge of Sophia, minus its ability to heal its allies. The last wave is a Will, a Wile, a Wit, and three Thews. Once all three waves of adds are down, he will then freeze over the entire arena, paralyzing all possible Guardians, dart underneath it, and surge upward in a blaze of Solar Light, dealing damage to all Guardians fighting him. The platform will then regenerate, and the fight will resume._ **

**_Infinite Ice/Infinite Fire: Zurvan will mark all possible Guardians with Infinite Fire, which will deal a small amount of damage over time to them. At the same time, Infinite Ice “puddles” will spawn throughout the arena. To remove the Infinite Fire, the player must run into an Infinite Ice puddle, which will remove the debuff and melt the puddle, removing it from the field._ **

**_Wave Cannon: A random Guardian will be targeted, and a glowing red tether will attach to them. Zurvan will charge Light in his claws. He will then turn to the targeted Guardian, and blast them, leaving a weak “Bleeding” damage over time debuff on them. Anyone close to the target will be hit as well, so it is advised that, if there are multiple Guardians on the field, that the target go to one side, and everyone else go to the opposite side._ **

**_Tyrfing: Zurvan will target whoever has his attention at the moment, and stab them with his spear five times in rapid succession, before unleashing a burst of Solar Light upon the target._ **

**_Broken Seal: In essence, like the Infinite Fire/Infinite Ice mechanic, however, this time, meteors are slowly falling down, and if the puddle is not “melted” into Balanced Water before the meteor makes impact, it will explode and deal damage to the entire arena. The Balanced Water puddles will be useful later. After he finishes this, the player who has his attention must lure him into one of the Balanced Water puddles. Once he steps into a puddle, he will roar as the puddles all spawn water tethers that bind him to the ground, allowing for DPS. Should the player fail to kill him in one phase, he will freeze the tethers before melting them with a surge of Solar Light, allowing him to resume attacking._ **

**_Much like the other two Warring Triad members and Odin, the player will have three “phases” to attempt to kill Zurvan. Should they fail to do so, he will snatch all Guardians currently fighting him in his claws, and obliterate them with a Wave Cannon. When the Guardian succeeds in besting Zurvan, he will stagger backwards, and surge with reddish-bluish light, which will grow to blinding. When the light fades, an unconscious Hunter will be splayed on the ground, with a strange, thick red plate attached to his arm, eerily reminiscent of a section of Zurvan’s carapace. By this point, Ikora and Zavala will have bested Sephirot, and Osiris and Saint will have bested Sophia._ **


	7. Post-Warring Triad Battle

**_No matter which of the Warring Triad the player chooses to confront, after all three are defeated, the platforms will begin to destabilize._ **

**Ghost:** It’s going to give out from under us! We have to go,  _ now!  _

**_The Guardian will quickly dart to the unconscious one they just defeated, scoop them up, and run, managing to leap to safety in the Tower Courtyard just as the platforms collapse, and the purplish mist fades away. Ikora will be cradling the Guardian she and Zavala defeated, and Saint will be carrying the remaining Guardian. Saint is obviously deeply disturbed by the revelation he’s just received thanks to the recent battles._ **

**Osiris:** Saint… this isn’t your fault… 

**Saint:** I… I know… but this… this is whole other level of wrong! Just when I thought the Vex could not sink lower-!

**Osiris:** Still… who interfered on our behalf and gave us the means to confront them this time? 

**Sagira:** Well, if there’s an  _ evil  _ twin… tradition says there’s a  _ good  _ twin… maybe it was that good twin? 

**Ghost:** ...Honestly, as crazy as that would normally sound, it’s kinda… the best thing we’ve got right now.

**Osiris:** ...What has the universe come to? 

**Zavala:** If this theory is true, then perhaps this mysterious…  _ good twin  _ would be willing and able to help us break into the Forest and put a proper end to this madness. 

**Sagira:** Great idea and all, but there’s one  _ teeny-tiny  _ problem with that…  _ we don’t exactly know where to  _ **_find_ ** _ this good twin.  _

**Ghost:** We fought that one creature in the Vault of Glass, which means that there’s at least some semblance of a connection to the Vault and the Infinite Forest. We know also that they’ve hijacked the Forest for their own ends. The Vault’s as good a place to start as any.

**Saint:** Be careful, my friend. You have killed gods… but still, even the best of us can fall. 

**Ghost:** We’ll be fine. Don’t worry. 


	8. Third Step: Gemini

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if it's going to successfully paste the picture implied in the fic. If it doesn't, please let me know and I'll upload it to my DeviantArt and link it here!

**_Head to Venus to once again enter the Vault of Glass in an attempt to establish contact with the “good twin”._ **

**_Upon arriving in the Ishtar Sink..._ **

**Ghost:** We’re almost there… let’s hope we don’t run into anything like that black armored knight again. 

**_Enter the Vault of Glass and look for your target._ **

**???:** It’s you… I’m sorry that you’re being dragged into all of this…\

**_Finally, a figure manifests out of purplish mist before the player._ **

**Ghost:** You’re the one who reached out to us… and you made those platforms so we could fight the creatures?

**???:** Primals. The term you’re looking for is primals. 

**Ghost:** Primals, huh? That’s an… interesting name, I guess. Still, we appreciate the help. 

**???:** It’s the most I can manage at this point. She’s grown too strong, and I can’t do anything about it.

**Ghost:** “She”... you mean…

**???:** My other half. My twin. She means well, but she doesn’t realize that she’s doing more harm than good, and by now, I can’t hope to stop her on my own. 

**Ghost:** What do you mean by that-

**????:** So,  _ this  _ is where you’ve run off to! Crying to a non-primal Guardian to succeed in your little scheme, are you?!

**_The player, Ghost, and the mystery “good twin” look up to see what is obviously the “evil twin” standing on a platform above them, blade drawn. The only notable differences are more exposed legs, more “demonic” eyes, and a much more sinister blade._ **

**???:** Why can’t you see that locking her in the Aetherial Forest is more harm than good, Lilith?! Trying to shelter her from the outside world forever will only end up backfiring!

**Ghost:** _ Aetherial  _ Forest? Don’t they mean  _ Infinite  _ Forest?

**Lilith:** The outside world will  _ never  _ accept her, Zeriah! They will only attack her and hurt her! The Aetherial Forest is the only place in this twisted system that she can hope to find solace in! 

**Ghost:** Nope, they  _ definitely  _ meant  _ Aetherial  _ Forest….

**Lilith:** I grow tired of your interference!  **_DIE!_ **

**_Lillith’s blade shimmers with a dark, crimson red light, and she leaps off the platform, preparing to cut Zeriah down. As if of its own volition, Zeriah’s blade detaches itself from her back, and stands in the way, parrying the blade, and forcing Lillith back through the gate from whence she came. The blade returns to Zeriah’s back, and she collapses moments later. The player and Ghost dart to Zeriah’s side._ **

**Ghost:** Zeriah?! What happened?!

**Zeriah:** It’s… hard to explain. Lilith and I… our blades are not mere weapons. They could perhaps be compared to you Ghosts in terms of having some degree of self-will and intelligence. However, unlike you all… they are not  _ as  _ intelligent, and can fight without either of us helping. 

**Ghost:** I’m… trying to decide how I feel about that. 

**Zeriah:** I meant no offense. I was simply only trying to draw a comparison you could understand. 

**Ghost:** Riiiiight… well, anyways, we should get you back to the Tower-

**Zeriah:** I don’t have the strength to maintain a proper physical form that far from the Aetherial Forest at the current moment. I’m sorry. 

**Ghost:** Oh… then what can you tell us about this  _ Aetherial Forest?  _ Who were you and Lillith talking about? How do Guardians get turned into these Primals?  _ Why  _ are they being transformed?

**Zeriah:** The Aetherial Forest is a sanctuary created on instinct by Lillith’s and I shared charge. We don’t know her actual name-we only know the name the Vex refer to her as.

**Ghost:** And that is…?

**Zeriah:** Avatar, the Source. 

**Ghost:** Avatar, huh… well, what led her to create the Aetherial Forest? And why were the Vex interested in her to begin with?

**Zeriah:** ...A response to their consistent…  _ experimentation  _ on her. She wanted them to stop causing her pain, so she managed to link herself into the Infinite Forest and create a whole other simulation where they couldn’t hurt her anymore. As for why they were interested in her… well, we were created only knowing that they hurt her. She doesn’t like to talk with others. She’s very afraid of what lies beyond the place of her creation, and she doesn’t want to take any chances.

**Ghost:** A desire which Lillith feeds off of and also enables, hence why she’s infinitely stronger than you. I guess when she saw Guardians encroaching on her territory, she wanted them gone… so Lillith twisted that somehow and instead turned them into her servants?

**Zeriah:** Yes. Guardians tend to want to grow stronger, so when presented with an opportunity, they aren’t likely to refuse. A flock’s worth of birds, one stone. 

**Ghost:** ...Can you get us  _ in  _ to the Aetherial Forest?

**Zeriah:** I can at least get you, and perhaps some of your allies, inside its boundaries. However, it would fall to you all to carve your way to the Source, and you’d have to contend with not only the primals that remain, but Lillith as well, just to  _ get  _ to Avatar. 

**Ghost:** We killed Crota. We killed Oryx. We cleared out the Black Garden  _ and  _ the Vault of Glass. We can handle the other primals and Lillith. We just need a way in. 

**_Zeriah lets out a defeated, exhausted sigh._ **

**Zeriah:** The King and his Son have  _ nothing  _ on Lillith in here. Perhaps maybe they could dance with a primal or two, but Lillith is second only to Avatar in terms of mastery of the Aetherial Forest. 

**_The player and Ghost look at each other, before looking back at Zeriah._ **

**Ghost:** Just what  _ do  _ you know of Oryx and Crota? How do you know anything besides their names, which we just told you now?

**Zeriah:** Vex records of them. I don’t know how accurate their records are in comparison to the actual subjects, but if the records have any accuracy… Crota was crushed under the heel of Susano, and Oryx fell at the hands of Tsukuyomi. 

**Ghost:** I’m going to guess that those are the names of two more primals?

**_Zeriah nods._ **

**Zeriah:** Yes. Susano, Lord of the Revel, and Tsukuyomi, Lady of the Moon. From what I understand, Susano was an easily-excitable Hunter with rather sticky fingers, and Tsukuyomi was a Warlock who had an obsession with the secrets of the Pyramids after seeing one on Luna. 

**Ghost:** So, the form the primal takes is based off of strong aspects of the base Guardian? What drove that black armored knight or the three who attacked the Tower?

**Zeriah:** Black armored knight… Odin, the Dark Divinity. He only cared for battle, and victory by any means necessary. The Warring Triad were a fireteam-Sephirot was a protective Titan who loved nature, Zurvan was a bloodthirsty, glory-seeking Hunter, and Sophia was a Warlock who was constantly keeping things balanced between the other two. 

**Ikora:** Again, their strongest aspects, brought out even further and perverted into this alternate, more powerful form. It all makes sense now. 

**_Zeriah, the player, and Ghost all turn to see Ikora standing a few feet behind them._ **

**Ghost:** Uhh… how long have you been here?

**Ikora:** Only just for the past few very informative minutes. We have the distraction fireteams in position, in front of the Infinite Forest gate, ready to breach and cause a ruckus on my command. As much as Saint isn’t the biggest fan of returning to the Forest, the… unique nature of this particular situation has led him to insist on joining you. Osiris is also joining you with a desire to reclaim the Forest. 

**_Ikora looks to Zeriah._ **

**Ikora:** Do you think you can manage that?

**_Zeriah nods._ **

**Zeriah:** Yes. Good luck, all of you. You’re going to need it.

**_Zeriah stands up just as Saint and Osiris arrive, fully armed and ready. She draws her blade off her back, and spins it around herself in an elaborate manner. It gathers brilliant iridescent light on it, and she slams it in the ground, causing an elaborate, unfamiliar magic circle to form on the ground, and lines crawl forth from the circle, gathering together in a focal point. A large, otherworldly “crack” forms in front of her._ **


	9. Story Mission: Imaginary

**_The player, Ikora, Saint, and Osiris all step through the “crack”, finding themselves in a very eerie, otherworldly forest filled with the purplish mist from before. Unfamiliar Vex of varying shapes and sizes are prowling everywhere._ **

**Saint:** While we have answers to how these…  _ primals  _ come into being, we still don’t have answers about these bizarre new Vex… 

**Osiris:** If this “Avatar” and “Lillith” can warp  _ Guardians,  _ it’s a safe assumption that they can both warp Vex to match and serve their respective primals. 

**Ghost:** I wonder what this “Avatar” looks like-

**Saint:** Look alive, Little Light!

**_Saint darts in front of the group, and pops his Ward of Dawn. Mere seconds later, Lilith descends upon the Ward, baring her blade, and clashes with it. After several moments, Lilith backflips off of the Ward, and lands on her feet a small distance from the group._ **

**Lilith:** That helm… The Vex fear you, Saint-14. You certainly are  _ fast  _ for a Titan! 

**Saint:** You must be Lillith! I give you one chance to lay down your armament! 

**Lilith:** I will  _ never  _ let you get to Avatar! 

**_Lilith slams her sword into the ground, causing the ground to split into four sections, which causes the player, Osiris, Saint, and Ikora to be separated from one another. Thus, a fight ensues in which the player must endure Lillith’s sword strikes and bizarre “Photon Arts”-Light-based attacks that generally serve as enhancements to her sword for a short period of time, while dealing what damage they can to her (which is very little). Eventually, shootable entities called “Aetherial Tears” will spawn. The player must shoot them to “widen” them, allowing one of the previously-mentioned Guardians to tear through and help the player in fighting Lillith. Eventually, when all four are reunited, they will collectively unleash their offensive Supers, defeating Lillith once and for all._ **

**_Upon her defeat, Lilith collapses to one knee, forced to use her sword to support herself. Gasping for breath, she glares at the four Guardians before her._ **

**Lilith:** How… why… I only want-

**Osiris:** To protect your friend. Yes, we heard you the last several times you said it. 

**Lilith:** You know  _ nothing!  _ You’re just some Vex-obsessed  _ madman- _

**Osiris:** You think I  _ don’t  _ know what it’s like to want to protect someone you hold dear, no matter the cost?! I broke  _ time itself  _ to save someone I love! 

**Lilith:** Tch… Don’t think you’re going to get to her  _ that  _ easily! 

**_Lilith’s body begins to “glitch out”, before she disintegrates entirely. Just as she does, the area begins to rapidly destabilize._ **

**Ikora:** What the hell?!

**_Osiris whips out his cubes, and rapidly arranges them, making a portal._ **

**Osiris:** The area of effect is small, but the effect is happening rapidly! Hurry! 

**_He leaps through the portal, followed shortly by the remaining trio. They, in a rather unceremonious manner, collapse on top of one another in yet another section of the enigmatic forest._ **

**Saint:** Is everyone alright? 

**_Osiris mumbles something, but is muffled by the dirt. The player looks down… only to realize that they have… quite the handful, to say the least. The player hurriedly jerks their hands back, and rolls off of the pile._ **

**Sagira:** Wow… I don’t think there are many people out there who can claim they’ve touched her-

**_Ikora glares at Sagira, before rolling off the pile herself, and dusting off._ **

**Sagira:** Right. Shutting up now!

**_Sagira disappears in a flash of light. Saint then rolls off of Osiris after the latter mutters something, and finally, Osiris pulls himself out of the ground, dusting himself off._ **

**Saint:** Hmph, I would think the mighty  _ Osiris  _ would be able to control the portal better than  _ that! _

**Osiris:** Time was of the essence! I could only give the order for “escape to beyond the region of destabilization”! 

**Ikora:** Well, what matters is we are, for the most part, intact. We have also bested Lilith, which brings us one step closer to confronting Avatar, and thus ending this. 

**_The group looks around, and Saint hisses._ **

**Saint:** Pah! Just our luck-multiple paths! 

**Ikora:** We don’t have much choice. We have to act as quickly as possible. Can you make Reflections, Osiris?

**_Osiris inhales deeply, and shimmers for a few moments. He does manage just enough Reflections to compensate for the remaining paths that the original quartet cannot cover alone._ **

**Osiris:** I trust that answers your question?

**Sagira:** And, of course, he’s going to leave out the fact this is putting  _ major  _ stress on him. Let’s go before I have to revive him because of this!

**_The Reflections and Guardians split up, navigating the Aetherial Forest. Eventually…_ **

**Osiris:** _ One of my Reflections has found her! Sagira is sending coordinates to all of your Ghosts!  _

**Ghost:** We’re on our way!

**Saint:** _ Ha! Save some for me! _

**Ikora:** _ I’m sure there will be plenty to go around! Be careful-we don’t know what she’s capable of! _

**_Head to the designated coordinates to confront Avatar._ **

**Ghost:** By the Light…  _ that’s  _ Avatar?!

**_Avatar is truly something else-a massive, six-armed feminine humanoid that almost seems to be carved out of purplish-bluish crystal, with massive, butterfly-esque wings that match. Each of the six hands has a different coloration to it. The top-most right hand is almost purely purple, with purple lightning arcing violently over it constantly, the middle right hand is a brilliant green with wind gusting around it constantly, and the bottom right hand is a sapphire blue color with water dancing around it. The top-most left hand is a brilliant fiery red, and fire has enveloped it completely, the middle left hand is a golden brownish color and appears to be caked in glowing golden rocks, and the bottom left hand is an icy blue, and appears to be at least somewhat encased in ice, with icicles hanging off the back of the hand. Avatar lets out an anguished cry to the heavens, strikes down a swarm of invading Vex with her lightning-hand, and both Saint and Ikora grimace._ **

**Saint:** Was that… a cry of  _ pain?  _

**Ghost:** Zeriah  _ did  _ mention something about this place supposedly being a sanctuary from whatever the Vex did to her… 

**Ikora:** Then perhaps it’s a cry of fear and panic. She’s  _ scared  _ of almost anyone and everyone. She’s probably going to lash out at us in a very wild manner.

**Osiris:** Then we need to be calm and orderly. I’ll distract her with my Reflections and Dawnblade. Saint, you handle the Vex surrounding her. 

**Saint:** Leave those bastards to me! 

**Osiris:** Once we find a weak point and expose it, Ikora, you restrain her with your Light, and Guardian, hit her with everything you’ve got! No mercy! 

**Ghost:** Leave it to us!

**_The fight ensues with Avatar. Saint will be handling the Vex adds, and Osiris, alongside his Reflections, will attempt to keep Avatar from striking her hands together, lest a powerful ability be unleashed. The player must shoot the higher hand to temporarily stun it and thus prevent the execution of an ability. Once a hand has been “shattered”, it will cease glowing, and and special effects it had will cease. Ikora will then restrain that hand with a Void tether to the ground, thus hindering Avatar. Once all six hands are restrained, a “core” in her chest will be revealed, and the player must unload everything they have into it. If they fail to best Avatar in one damage phase, she will, with an anguished cry, break the tethers and unleash a brilliant, piercing “Chakra Laser” which involves her unleashing a rapid succession of iridescent lasers which start from the crown of her forehead, and follow down the center of her body to just below her navel. This cycle will continue indefinitely until the player manages to overcome Avatar._ **

**_Upon her defeat, Avatar staggers and screams, her form glowing brilliantly with iridescent light until it fills the area. After a brief moment, the light fades away, revealing a now-unconscious eleven-year-old, malnourished-looking girl with Vex arms spliced to her body, and various other Vex plates spliced to her body in varying places, in the air, now rapidly falling towards the ground. Saint, upon seeing this, is horrified, and runs as fast as he can possibly manage towards her. Ikora is faster, however, and uses her Blink to warp in close enough to catch her, before Blinking safely to the ground with the unconscious girl in her arms. Seeing that she is safe, Saint hard-turns and skids to a halt close by. Osiris lands in front of both of them, and the player arrives memre moments later._ **

**Saint:** I knew the Vex were monsters, but this… this is…

**Ikora:** It makes even more sense now. This was all the work of a traumatized child, desperate to escape the torment of her captors. Osiris… can anything be done at all?

**_Sagira manifests and scans the child whilst Osiris carefully looks over her._ **

**Sagira:** Scans say no… the arms and plating are too intertwined with her body and Light. All we’d succeed in doing is making things worse by trying to remove anything.

**Osiris:** If anything, the Vex technology is what’s been keeping her alive this whole time. I would not be surprised if she bleeds more radiolaria than human blood at this point. 

**_Saint angrily slams his fist into the ground, causing it to quake briefly. He then swears in Old Russian several times over._ **

**Saint:** How… I failed to protect her-!

**Osiris:** _ Saint.  _ Be  _ rational.  _ You should know by now that you can’t save  _ everyone  _ from  _ everything.  _ If  _ I  _ didn’t know, how could  _ you  _ have possibly known? And if neither of  _ us  _ knew, how could any other Guardian have known? It’s unfortunate what happened, but at least now, we can get her away from the Vex’s cruel clutches. 

**_The ground starts to quiver yet again, and the trees start to collapse and dissolve._ **

**Sagira:** Bad news! Without her to keep it going, the simulation’s destabilizing! We’ve gotta go, NOW! 

**_Zeriah manifests, with an unconscious Lillith on her back. She once again generates a “crack” in front of her._ **

**Zeriah:** This way! It will lead us back to the Vault of Glass! 

**_The small group leap into the “crack”, and manage to escape to the Vault of Glass just as the Aetherial Forest dissolves. Zeriah sets Lilith on the ground gently._ **

**Zeriah:** It’s over… finally. Thank you. 

**Saint:** It was nothing. Osiris was right-what matters is now, little bird is safe. I will  _ personally  _ rip apart  _ anything  _ that dares to torture her like that again! 

**Ikora:** I can’t help but notice that the primals, and by extent, you, your twin, and Avatar all seemed to be connected to the Vault of Glass as well as the Infinite Forest. Do you have any idea as to why?

**Zeriah:** I’m… not sure, but I think the Vex dragged her into the Forest through the Vault. Lilith and I came into being after the Vex experimented on her. 

**Osiris:** I’ll see what I can’t gleam from their records. Take her back to the Tower. She’s suffered enough. 

**_Osiris transmats away, and Saint sighs._ **

**Saint:** Stubborn bird… but he cares. Let us go home.

**_He turns to Zeriah, and extends a hand._ **

**Saint:** All of us. You too.

**_Zeriah looks up to Saint, confused for a moment, before hefting Lilith onto her back again, and taking Saint’s hand. Everyone transmats away, leaving the Vault of Glass._ **


	10. Fourth Step: Home, Sweet Home

**_Head to Ikora in the Tower to ask about the mysterious Avatar._ **

**Ghost:** So… how is she?

**_Ikora sighs heavily._ **

**Ikora:** Still unconscious, but in a better state than before. She’s responding well to the nutritional infusions we’re giving her to get her weight up. Lilith seems to have come to terms with the fact that she’s not getting her way anymore. Zeriah has been watching over her alongside Lilith. The Vex implants are surprisingly stable and not causing damage to her body. 

**Ghost:** Lilith’s just being allowed to walk around freely?!

**Ikora:** Without the strength of the Aetherial Forest to back her, she’s much weaker than before. And like I said, she seems to have realized she won’t be getting her way, so there’s no point to trying to fight the Guardians and Zeriah anymore. She hasn’t tried anything since she woke up. We’re only allowing medically-trained Warlocks in there right now anyways.

**Ghost:** Oh… I see. Have we learned anything about how the Vex got their hands on her?

**Ikora:** Osiris managed to uncover some records of the Vex finding her on Venus. Upon checking the coordinates he provided, we found that they were near an old Clovis Bray medical research facility, long abandoned. My guess is that a Ghost found her in a cryo-stasis chamber, and brought her back to life. Given that she was a child and thus  _ very  _ inexperienced, the Vex would’ve had no trouble capturing her-

**???: RASPUTIN, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, STOP RUNNING!**

**_The player, Ikora, and Ghost all turn to see Ana chasing furiously after Exo-Rasputin. The player blinks, and Ikora stares._ **

**Ikora:** He’s heading in the direction of Avatar’s room! What could he want with her?!

**_The player, Ikora, and Ghost all chase after Exo-Rasputin. They arrive in the sleeping Avatar’s room, and watch as the Warmind walks over to Avatar… only to be surprised as grabs a chair from underneath Lilith, pulls it to him, thus causing her to fall over and yelp in pain as she falls flat on her face, sit down on it, and simply stare at Avatar._ **

**Ana:** Um… Rasputin… Do you…  _ know  _ her? 

**_He turns, looks at Ana, nods, and then proceeds to speak in his usual cryptic language._ **

**Ana:** “Yes, I do… her name is Saphira Daley. She was a child who was brought to the Clovis Bray facility on Venus thanks to the machinations of an organization that granted a final wish to terminally ill children. Her final wish was to explore the ins and outs of the facility, and to meet me in person. She was… surprisingly capable of engaging me in interesting conversation, all things considered. I personally saw to her being placed in cryogenic stasis, until the resources could be spared to transfer her into an Exo body. Then, the Collapse happened, and I had to withdraw into my core on Mars. I lost track of her body, but I never forgot about her.” 

**_Ana smiles, and gets a bit teary-eyed._ **

**Ana:** Aww… who knew you could be such a big softie? 

**_Rasputin glares at Ana, before turning to stare at the player, and then back at Saphira. Once again, he starts speaking in his odd language._ **

**Ana:** “If there was anyone worthy of your Light, it would be her.” 

**_The realization of what he’s saying strikes the conscious Guardians in the room, as well as Ghost. Ana can’t resist giving her Warmind son a giant hug, and he growls in response. Mere seconds later, Saphira starts to stir, and Ana lets Rasputin go. After several moments, she jerks awake, eyes wide as can be, the sheet covering the majority of her body falling off partially, exposing some of what the Vex did to her._ **

**Saphira:** Who-what… huh? This isn’t the Forest…

**_Ikora sits down besides Saphira._ **

**Ikora:** Can you tell me what you remember before you woke up here?

**_Saphira whimpers, and curls in on herself._ **

**Saphira:** I remember waking up… then the robots came… and they kept on… 

**_Ikora places a gentle hand on Saphira’s top right arm, and gently rubs it._ **

**Ikora:** They hurt you, didn’t they? Over and over again? 

**_Saphira nods, and starts to cry. Ikora pulls her into a hug, and Rasputin suddenly stands up. He storms towards the door. Ana looks over towards him, and places a hand on his shoulder._ **

**Ana:** Whoa there, where are you going?

**_He says something in a harsh tone, and storms out of the room._ **

**Ana:** “The Vex will regret their actions.” What does he mean-

**_Ana’s eyes widen as she realizes what he intends to do._ **

**Ana:** Rasputin,  **_NO!_ **

**_She chases after him. Mere seconds later, the alarm starts blaring, signaling an attack on the Tower._ **

**Ghost:** Who’s attacking now?! 

**Saphira:** The robots… it has to be… they’re coming back for me-!

**_Ikora pulls her in tighter._ **

**Ikora:** We won’t  _ let  _ them. 

**_She looks to the Guardian._ **

**Ikora:** I’m inclined to agree with the Warmind here. Go. Make the Vex regret ever laying a mechanical  _ hand  _ on this poor girl!

**Guardian:** With  _ pleasure.  _

**_The Guardian heads out of the room. They head then to the Tower Courtyard, only to see that, indeed, the Vex are making a very desperate assault on the Tower. Saint is leading the charge, viciously tearing through any Vex he can get his hands on, and Rasputin is sniping from a perch. Of course, there are plenty of other Guardians also driving back the Vex. After several moments, what looks like a massively-overgrown Vex Hobgoblin with an iridescent coloration steps through a massive Vex Gate._ **

**Ghost:** That… That has to be the Vex Mind itself… this must mean something serious for it to be here.…

**Saint: (yelling at maximum volume) YOU WILL NOT PASS!**

**_Saint sprints, and leaps with all his might towards the massive Vex, hoping to slam into its core… only to find that it is guarded with normally-invisible shielding that manifests with sparks when it is struck. Unfazed, he continues to viciously attack it, driving it back slowly across the Courtyard, until he finally manages to pierce the shield and brutally rip its left forearm off completely. Mere seconds later, it teleports away, and the remainder of its army follows suit. Saint lands on the ground, and roars towards the sky._ **

**Saint: COWARDS! COME BACK HERE!**

**_He is still furious, but realizes he can do nothing else at the moment, so he settles for heading to a training area and breaking some dummies into pieces. Eventually, Shaxx walks up to the Guardian._ **

**Shaxx:** What’s all of this?! What’s going on?! First, there were those… whatever those things were, and now, the Vex lead a  _ direct assault  _ on the Tower?! 

**Ghost:** Um… it’s kinda… a long story. And we don’t know all the details yet. Ikora could probably tell you better than anyone else right now. 

**Shaxx:** Where is she right now?

**Ghost:** With a child named Saphira Daley. In the med bay.

**Shaxx:** ...Why is there a  _ child  _ in the med bay?! 

**Ghost:** ...Again, a long story… and one you probably won’t like. 

**_Shaxx levels his gaze at the Guardian, and growls, irritated._ **

**Shaxx:** I need to see this for myself. 

**_He turns on his heel, and leaves the area, heading towards the med bay._ **

**Ghost:** He isn’t gonna like what he sees… 

**_Continue onto the next questline in part 2. See you soon, Guardian._ **


End file.
